Frog.



J. P. FLECKENSTEIN.

FROG.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-22. 1916.

Patented July 9,1918.

INVENTOH m: NORRIS puns ca. rnomuruo WASHINGTON. o. c.

A ms 'a rnnr cr mes.

JOSEPH PNFLECKENSTEIN, or BETHLEHEM, 'rEnnsxLvAnin, assronon. BY MESN'E ASSIGNMENTS, TO BETHLEHEM STEEL oo vrrnnY, AooRrom TIon 0E PENNSYL- VANIA..

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH P. FLEoKEN- s'rnnv, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bethlehem, in the county of Northampton and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Frogs, of which the. following is a specification.

Cast steel frogs are commonly of shelllikev formations, the under side thereof be: ing usually cored longitudinally beneath the point, leaving the point-supporting top wall relatively thin. As the body of the frog and hence the bottom cavity thereof are of greatest width in the portion carrying the frog point, the :pointsupporting top wall in many cases yields under the excessive weight of the rolling stock, the most pronounced strain resulting from the pounding of the wheels as they'pass from the wing rails onto the frog point.

The primary object of the presentinvention is toprovide an eflicient reinforcement for the point carrying portion of the frog,

the reinforcement extending longitudinally of the frog point,-whe'reby the latteris directly sustained by the cross ties or other foundation'- on which the frog is laid." The vention, the part thereof subjected to the reinforcement is preferably formed in sec-' tions rather than in one continuous length to prevent fracture that might result from contraction when the casting cools, the construction being such that the reinforcement is quite as effective as though there were no break or interruption therein.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of the improved frog, showing the track rails connected to opposite ends thereof. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the frog. Fig. 3- is an inverted plan of the frog. Figs. 4 and 5 are cross sections taken on lines 4-4 and 5-5, respectively, of Fig. 1.

The frog of the present invention is known as a solid manganese frog, and consists of a relatively thin cast steel shell. The body of the frog is widest intermediate its toe end 2 and heel end 3, this being the portion of the frog which carries the integral frog point 4. By referring to Figs. 2 and 4, it will be seen that the body is cored or recessed upwardly at 5, so that the top wall 6 which supports point 4, and which is formed with usual longitudinal grooves 6 at opposite sides of the point, is relatively :Specification of Letters Patent.

' Enos.

thin, and the same is true of the Walls 7 which merge intothelateral bottom flanges 8. I To strengthen the point-supporting portion of the body without unduly increasing the weight of the frog as a whole and hence Without unnecessary consumption of costly steel, the top wall 6 of the bottom recess is reinforced by the relatively thin depending rib formation 9. located beneath and extending longitudinally of the frog point. To. prevent fracture of the relatively thin reinforcementincident to contraction of the casting when cooling, it is formed in relatively shortlengths, withone end of each length formed with the curved oppositely extending flanges 10 which are integral. with the rib and with the top and side walls of the bottom cavity. Thecurvat'ure of flanges 10 is such that the unflanged end of the next adjacent rib section extends therebetween, so that the strengthening effect is the same as though the rib were continuous or unbroken. Rib 9 andfianges 10 are coincident with the bottom plane of the frog and hence rest directly on the foundation on which: the frog is laid:

With a hollow or cast steel frog constructed'in accordance with the present ingreatest strain, 2'. e., the point-carrying part, is so strengthened and reinforced as to render the structure as permanent and wearresisting as though it Were not cored on its under side.

I claim:

l. A frog recessed at its under side and at its top formed with a frog point, ribs depending from the top Wall of the recess and arranged in line with each other and extending longitudinally of the frog point, and oppositely curved laterally extending flanges connecting one end of each longitudinal rib with the side walls of the recess, the unfianged end of the longitudinal rib extending between the curved lateral flanges of the next adjacent rib.

2. A cast metal railroad frog comprising a floor portion, spaced longitudinally-extending lateral Web portions supporting the floor portion,tread portions rising from the floor portion, and converging web portions extending beneath the floor portion and connected at their outer ends to said lateral inner ends,

7 v Patented J uly'9, 1918. Application filed August 22, 1916. Serial No. 116,246.

3. A cast metal railroad frog comprising i a fioor portion, spaced longitudinally-ex- Copies of thispatent may be obtained for tending lateral web portions supporting the floor'porti0n,"tre'ad portions rising'from the floor portion, and converging .web portions extending beneath the floor portion and connected at their .outerends to saidvlateral web portions and "terminating at their inner ends in a single web portion extending longitudinally of the frog between said lateral web portions, Isa-id converging web portion and said single web portion supporting said floor portion and the tread portions rising therefrom. r a

At. A cast metal railroad frog comprisinga floor portion, spaced :lon'gitudinally extending lateral web portions supporting the floor portion, tread portions rising from the floor portion, and a plurality of pairs of converging web portions [extending beneath the floor portion and connected at their'outer ends to said lateral web portions, the web portions ofkeach of said pairs terminating-at their inner ends in a single vweb. portion extending longitudinally of the-frog between said lateral web'portion's, one of said single web portions terminating between the web portions of one of said pairs in spaced relation thereto, and said single web portions and said converging web portions supporting said floor ortion and the tread portion-s ris ing there rom.

.5.Acast metal railroad frog comprising a floor portion, wing'rail tread portions rising from the respective sides voft-said floor portion, a pointed tread portion rising from the central portion of said floor portion,

7 lateral web portions extending longitudinally of the frogbeneath said wing railtread portions and v supporting the same i and 7 said floor portion, and'converging web portions extending beneath the fioor portion and connectedat their outer ends to said lateral web portions and terminating at their inner ends ina sin-gleweb portion extending longitudinally of the frog beneathand. supporting said pointed tread portion 7 '7 6. A cast metal railroadtfrog comprising a floor portion, wing rail tread portions'rising from the respective sides of said fioor portion, a pointed tread portion rising from the central portion of 'said floor portion, lateral web portionsextending longitudinally of the frog beneath said wing. rail tread portions and supporting'the same and said floor portion, and a plurality of pairs of converging web portions extending beneath the floor portion and connected at their outer ends to said lateral web portions, the web portions of each of said pairs terminating at their inner ends in a singlefweb portion extending longitudinally of the frog beneath andsupporting said pointed tread portion, 1 i

one of said single web portions terminating between the Web portions oi one of sai pairs in spaced IBlfttl'OH-thBl'GtO.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signaturefive cents each, by addressing the ilg 'ii 1 1 m; of pat n washinztomnc." 7 

